Comprehensive Planning

We provide an integrated approach to creating vibrant, resilient, and equitable places.

Our team has extensive experience developing and updating a wide range of comprehensive plans, including general plans, strategic plans, community plans, and master plans, to address the dynamic challenges of communities, campuses, and special districts throughout California. Ascent is experienced in visioning, scenario planning, creating and testing alternatives, developing graphic and user-friendly documents, and crafting associated zoning and design standards. Our comprehensive planning work includes housing policy, safety elements, environmental justice elements, and equity assessments, all essential to address the needs and concerns of underrepresented, disadvantaged, and vulnerable people. Inclusive engagement is a fundamental part of our work, and Ascent has prepared and executed engagement strategies for many complex and controversial projects. We use a variety of tools and techniques to make participation inclusive, interactive, educational, and fun for everyone while collecting feedback that highlights tradeoffs and informs policy solutions. In addition, we are able to draw upon the full resources of our firm to integrate resiliency, environmental planning, and natural resources planning into our work to streamline the planning process and balance the potential impacts and benefits of alternatives.

SERVICES
  • General plans, community plans, and other comprehensive plans
  • Campus plans and special district plans
  • Equity assessments
  • Environmental justice elements
  • Safety elements
  • Inclusive community engagement, including community engagement plans, meeting and workshop facilitation, real-time polling and interactive surveys, and website design and online tools
FEATURED PROJECTS
Ascent led the effort to update the Safety Element and create a new Environmental Justice Element as part of San Diego County’s effort to ensure that its General Plan meets new state requirements. Ascent worked with the County to execute a coordinated strategy for adopting the Safety Element and the Environmental Justice Element, concurrent with the County’s Housing Element, which was being developed through a separate but coordinated process.
San Diego County, California
San Diego County Safety Element Update and New Environmental Justice Element
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The City of San Diego’s Inclusive Public Engagement Guide represents a transformative approach to civic engagement, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of engagement efforts, build trust with community partners, and encourage inclusivity across all sectors.
San Diego, California
City of San Diego Inclusive Public Engagement Guide
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SMUD's EC-OC Master Plan addresses the continued growth in employee and physical and operational needs to meet the demands of SMUD’s customers. The Master Plan establishes the guiding principles for campus development and defines the land use, circulation, landscape, open space, security, and sustainability frameworks for campus growth, provides guidelines for future development, and outlines the actions and priorities needed to implement the vision and strategies of the plan.
Sacramento, California
SMUD East Campus Operations Center Master Plan
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The 2040 General Plan includes a new Climate Action Plan Element, the first in Truckee’s history. It also includes new mixed-use land use designations as part of a comprehensive approach to increasing housing development opportunities, reducing GHG emissions, supporting transit, and reducing vehicle miles traveled.
Truckee, California
Truckee 2040 General Plan and Downtown Truckee Plan Update
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Ascent is assisting SANDAG with the Housing Acceleration Program (HAP) Technical Assistance Program, providing staffing support and assistance to local jurisdictions on housing policy and legislation, housing element implementation, and CEQA streamlining to assist SANDAG’s 19 member agencies. The program supports implementation of SANDAG’s 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment Plan, 2021 Regional Plan, and Sustainable Communities Strategy.
San Diego County, California
SANDAG Technical Assistance Program
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The City of Sacramento’s 2021–2029 Housing Element is an 8-year strategy to meet the housing needs of current and future residents by providing opportunities for increased overall housing production, greater housing affordability, advancement of equity and inclusion, and protection against residential displacement.
San Diego, California
Port of San Diego Master Plan Update
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AMBASSADORS

Matthew Gelbman AICP
Senior Urban Planner

619.795.0153
Email Matthew

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MEET MATTHEW

Christine Babla AIA, AICP, LEED AP
Principal – Urban Design + Planning

619.795.0151
Email Christine

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MEET CHRISTINE
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
  • City of San Diego
  • City of Sacramento
  • City of Sunnyvale
  • City of Elk Grove
  • City of Folsom
  • Town of Truckee
  • California Department of Housing and Community Development
  • Sacramento Area Council of Governments
  • San Diego Association of Governments
  • Port of San Diego
  • San Diego County
  • Sacramento County
  • Placer County
  • Ventura County
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
URBAN DESIGN + PLANNING KNOWLEDGE
A Collaborative Approach to Increasing Diversity in the Environmental and Planning Industry
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our workspaces has become an important core value embraced by many organizations in the planning and environmental industry.
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SB 2 Planning Grants Program Provides Technical Assistance to Local Jurisdictions for Planning Efforts
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Senate Bill 2 Planning Grants Program provides technical assistance to local jurisdictions for planning efforts that accelerate housing approvals and increase housing production. As a part of the program, these toolkits.
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midtown sacramento, neighborhood, street, homes
Sacramento’s Bold Strategies to Address Housing Needs and Homelessness
As California continues to face a housing crisis, the City of Sacramento has taken significant steps to address its housing needs that may provide valuable strategies for other cities to consider. On August 10, 2021, the Sacramento City Council unanimously approved a Comprehensive Siting Plan to Address Homelessness.
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Urban Design
+ PlanningUrban DesignHousingComprehensive Planning
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